Edited press release from Traverse City Horse Shows

The pieces of a strong partnership are falling into place for Richard Spooner (USA) and 11-year-old Lyjanair with a win in the CSI3* $117,000 Four G Surfaces Grand Prix to conclude opening week of the Traverse City Spring Series, presented by Turtle Creek Casino & Hotel, on Sunday. 

“I have been getting to know him, but I am starting to feel like I can go fast everywhere and that feels good,” said Spooner of Lyjanair, a horse that joined his string at the end of 2024. The gelding was formerly the ride of Swedish Olympic silver medalist Rolf-Göran Bengtsson. “Where I won was from one to two. Lyjanair has a lot, but one of the things he's the best at is that he has a stride like a giraffe.”

The margin was less than half a second between Spooner and runner-up Daisy Farish (USA) aboard Quala vd Rollebeek (Bamako de Muze x Vigo d'Arsouilles). From a jump-off field of nine horses over courses designed by Guilherme Jorge (BRA), Spooner guided his Holsteiner gelding (Lyjanero x Coriano) owned by Show Jumping Syndications Int’l to best Farish in 36.97 seconds. She settled for second with her 9-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Lanes End Showjumping on a time of 37.40 seconds.

After opening the week with an international victory, Francisco Goyoaga Mollet (ESP) stepped on to the podium once again riding 10-year-old PST de Muze (Vigo d'Arsouilles x Clinton) for owner Sigma Stables in 37.80 seconds.

“I know that he can jump anything; he has amazing quality and he's quite simple to ride,” said Spooner, who admits that he chose to harness the gelding’s natural ability in a different way than his former rider. “Rolf has incredible results with the horse, so I have big shoes to fill. I can't do it his way, but I'm doing it my way, and the horse is adapting nicely. Rolf is a control genius. I'm not. So, I'm trying to get him accustomed to a more of a footloose and fancy-free way,” continued Spooner, whose groom Daniel Villalon Castillo was awarded the Equifit Grooms Award. “He goes in a very basic bit, no noseband, no running [martingale]. He has moved from two-stars to three-stars, and we’ve got two more stars to go.”